UK government adamant on Brexit deadline

● British MPs force reluctant prime minister to request another delay from EU

A defiant British government doubled down on Sunday, insisting it would leave the EU in 11 days despite parliament forcing a reluctant prime minister to request a delay.

In a day of high drama on Saturday, MPs in the House of Commons passed up the chance to decide on the revised withdrawal agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had negotiated with the EU.

That defeat leaves Johnson under mounting pressure to find a way out of the paralysing impasse on when and how Britain would leave the EU bloc after Britons narrowly voted to exit in a 2016 referendum.

Johnson reluctantly sent European Council president Donald Tusk a letter legally imposed on him by parliament requesting an extension — but refused to sign it.

He sent a second, signed letter insisting he was not seeking an extension to the Brexit deadline, which has already been postponed twice, warning that “a further extension would damage the interests of the UK and our EU partners”.

Having failed to back a divorce deal, which Johnson had secured on Thursday, MPs triggered a law requiring him to write to EU leaders, asking to delay Brexit, to avoid the risk that Britain crashes out in less than a fortnight’s time.

Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove, the government’s Brexit planning chief, was nonetheless adamant that Britain would leave the EU on schedule.

“Yes. We are going to leave on October 31,” he said.

The government will bring forward this week the domestic legislation needed to implement the divorce deal, with a first vote as soon as Tuesday.

Separately, it is seeking a new yes-or-no vote on approving the deal on Monday, though this may fall foul of parliamentary procedure.

Commons speaker John Bercow will rule on whether Johnson can hold a “meaningful vote” on the deal.

“If we get the legislation through then there is no extension. October 31 is within sight,” Gove said.

He said it was dangerous to assume the 27 other EU leaders would grant an extension.

The Labour main opposition has lambasted Johnson’s deal as a sell-out and voted for the delay.

However, senior figures hinted on Sunday that they could let it go through, subject to amendments, including a second referendum pitting a divorce deal against remaining in the bloc after all.

Brussels officials pressed on with plans to ratify the deal as European leaders considered Johnson’s delay request.

“The EU is keeping all options open and has therefore initiated the ratification process so that it can be handed over to the European parliament on Monday,” an EU diplomat said.

Tusk will spend a few days canvassing member state leaders, and diplomats said this would mean the British parliament would have to vote on Brexit again before hearing their decision on the October 31 departure.

MPs voted by 322 votes to 306 on Saturday to support former Conservative MP Oliver Letwin’s amendment to buy extra time.

The Brexit date has already been pushed back twice from March 29, to the fury of those who wanted to chart their own course and abandon the European project.